Paris 2024: South Sudan Beats Puerto Rico to Register First Olympic Win Despite Anthem Mix Up
- South Sudan defeated Puerto Rico 90-79 to secure their first-ever win at the Paris Olympic Games
- The African nation had a sluggish start, but an impressive defensive performance saw them bounce back
- South Sudan fans were visibly angered after the wrong national anthem was played before tip-off
South Sudan erased a double-digit deficit to secure their first-ever win at the Olympics.
Royal Ivey's team survived a Jose Alvarado masterclass to beat Puerto Rico 90-79 in their opening Group C match.
Source: UGC
The young country started slow, and things looked bleak early on, but a phenomenal third quarter and an even impressive fourth gave them an edge in an entertaining encounter at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium
In the first quarter, South Sudan were down eight points (20-28) but kept it close in the second period (28-26). They held Puerto Rico to 15 points in the third quarter (23-15).
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In the final period, they defended extremely well to win 19-10. Carlik Jones (19 points), Nuni Omot (12 points), Wenyen Gabriel (6 points, 9 rebounds), and Marial Shayok (15 points) were the leading scorers for the African team.
South Sudan also dominated the boards, beating their opponents 55-37. Ivey's team shot 42% from the field and 34% from deep (10/29).
Alvarado led Puerto Rico in scoring with 26 points in 32 minutes. However, an ankle injury likely contributed to his struggles in the second half.
Before the match, the wrong anthem was played for South Sudan, eliciting sharp criticism from fans online. The African nation will face the mighty USA in their second Olympics game on July 31.
USA beats South Sudan
Briefly News earlier reported that the USA narrowly defeated South Sudan in an exhibition game in London before the Olympics.
Carlik Jones had a triple-double for South Sudan but missed what would've been a historic game-winner after LeBron James layup gave the USA a one-point lead with eight seconds left.
Luol Deng calls out ex-NBA stars
Briefly News also reported that Luol Deng, President of the South Sudan Basketball Federation, replied to former NBA stars Paul Pierce and Gilbert Arenas after they mocked his team.
Pierce and Arenas came under fire for taunting South Sudan before and after their mouth-watering exhibition game with the USA.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
